


Recovery

by TeaRoses



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Community: hc_bingo, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Short Ficlet, slight shipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-18 17:32:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11295393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaRoses/pseuds/TeaRoses
Summary: Alec is by Ellie's side as she recovers from an injury.  Written for Hurt/Comfort Bingo for the prompt "bullet wounds."





	Recovery

"I wasn't expecting the gun," Ellie murmured. She had been napping, dreaming painful dreams and waking to find out they were real. 

Alec went back to the hospital bed and sat beside it. "None of us were," he said. 

"I was so foolish, thinking I could just talk to him, make him see reason. He knew he would get prison for the drugs but I thought he was smart enough not to want to add murder."

"Well, fortunately it wasn't a murder," said Alec.

"Yes, he had very bad aim," Ellie replied. "I'm surprised he hit me at all."

"It's not funny," Alec replied. 

"Oh, indulge me, Alec. Let me pretend to be some action movie heroine who thinks a bullet in the thigh is nothing."

Ellie watched his face, but he wasn't smiling. She had never figured him out, probably never would, but she was glad that when she woke up in hospital he'd been there.

"You can die from a bullet anywhere," he said.

"I'm aware of the hazards of my chosen profession," she replied.

He still didn't smile, just sat beside her, his eyes traveling the room as if he did not know where to look. Ellie had a momentary thought that she must be a horrible sight, lying there far too exposed by the hospital gown with her hair and indeed the rest of her a mess, but she quickly pushed the thought out of her mind, telling herself she had so many more important things to worry about.

"You may have saved my life, you know," she said.

Alec looked pained rather than proud. "All I did was put some pressure on the wound until the ambulance got there," he said.

Ellie remembered seeing him through the painful haze, Alec's voice telling her softly that she was going to be all right. She had thought for a moment that Alec's face might be the last thing she ever saw.

"You never can take a compliment," she said. She reached out and took his hand in hers. "This isn't the only time you've saved me," she said gently. 

"How do you mean?"

"Well lately you've saved me from boredom, and from having no one to complain to about raising my awful children."

"They aren't awful," he said. "They didn't even want to go to school today. They were so worried."

"They know I'm going to be all right. And I can barely have a conversation with all this painkiller in my system."

Alec kept her hand, stroking her palm gently with his finger. He still looked uncomfortable but that was Alec and Ellie would accept him as he was.

"Well, it's just--" he began.

"Just what?" she asked.

She could barely hear him when he replied.

"I can't imagine being without you," he said, turning his head as if he didn't want to see her reaction.

She squeezed his hand. "I can't imagine it either. Or at least I don't want to."

"So let's both just hope the next drug dealer we catch doesn't have better aim," he said.

"That was a joke," she said in a mock accusatory tone. 

"It was?"

"I've finally caught you trying to be funny. Don't you dare deny it."

"Well, everybody tries sometimes I suppose."

He finally smiled, and Ellie thought that she wanted to kiss him. She promised herself that she would not forget that impulse when she was uninjured and walking and had decent hair. For now she just let herself fall asleep again with his hand in hers.


End file.
